I just originally planned to)Yema hadn't fallen for the white lion at first sight. That would be reckless. No. Yema fell in love the second time she saw herinstead. She was playing with a cub, laughing like there wasn't anything to worry about in this world. She was amusing and when Yema told her so the smile she gave lit Yema up inside.
And from there on the two became friends. And when Amas was upset about Jovano not noticing her affection, Yema was there for her. Showed them that someone loved them.
Now, Yema often lived on the outskirts of the pride. They didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the pride's traditions, having grown up outside the pride, but one tradition had always stood out to them. The ceremony of Enpermince. It was the tradition two lions partake in when they want to show that their love. She found it incredibly romantic and she already knew who she would make the effort for. Maybe it was his jealous nature but Yema wanted something the pride recognized to stake a claim on their mate. To show that Amas was theirs.
So Yema went on a trek to the highest mountain in the territory. It had been hard to get information from those she had asked on where these precious flowers were. But Yema wouldn't give up, she ended up getting the information from Emika, as distracted as she was with trying to get a cub to sit still while Lyra gave them a health check.
But by the time Yema reached the top of the mountain it was already getting late and Yema still hadn't found the flowers they seeked. The wind howled and a cold bit in even under Yema's fur. She only just had time to run for a shallow cave before a snow storm whipped up. The storm didn't let up until the early morning, still much too dark for someone unfamiliar with the territory to travel.
But Yema was determined, though shaken. As soon as it was light again she continued searching for the flower. She trudged through the snow, the cold dragging and biting at her paw pads until she found the flowers that would signify her affection.
She wasn't quite sure when she thought it was a good idea to fall asleep in the snow but she was quite sure she didn't want to see her mate's other man dragging her away from her resting place.
Her mind was still so foggy and everything just so cold so she lashed out. There was only a split second of recognition as her claw swept through the air, suddenly catching on the cheek of her mate instead. Her light pelt had blended into the snow and she hadn't seen them approaching. Desperately she apologized and held out the purple flowers, desperate to show just how much he meant to Yema. But her face-
She just shook her head and worked with the other scout to take her someplace warmer. It was only as the frozen tinges her thoughts lifted that she brought it up again.
“The tradition of Enpermince?”
“Im sorry, I think- We should have talked about this before you left.” Yema nodded. She quickly found out that she had misunderstood. While it was a tradition to gather flowers for your loved one it wasn't just a gift or symbol of affection. It is something to be agreed upon so that when a mate traveled up into the mountains someone knew where they had gone. But more importantly it was to signify undying and unending love, the kind that Yema’s mate didn't feel for her. To her, their love was temporary. Yema should've known.
(618/500)
